St Teresa & St John Southworth Churches, Cleveleys
Fr Chris Cousens—Phone: 853340
Rev Bernard Ward (Deacon) (Tel: 858346)
Enquiries for St John Southworth: Phone: 853340
27 April 2025
http://www.st-teresas-church.co.uk
Email: st.teresas.cleveleys@gmail.com
Lancaster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trustees Registered Charity Number 23433
Sunday : 2nd Sunday of Easter
Contents: Gospel
Notices
Reflection
Gospel: John: 20-19-31
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you,’ and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
‘As the Father sent me,
So am I sending you.’
After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’
Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:
‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples sawm but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.
Gospel Reflection : Is Your Post-Easter Sunday Life Going Swimmingly
Some people think that if you have enough faith, life will be plain sailing. This of course isn’t true.
The fact that you can swim does not mean that you have control over the sea. It doesn’t prevent you from getting knocked about. In the same way faith doesn’t shield us from the hard knocks of life or death.
What then does faith do? It enables us to live in a topsy-turvy world without getting completely lost or giving in to despair. It gives us bearings.
Just as swimmers trust that if they don’t panic, and if they do a few simple things, then the power of the water will uphold them, so believers entrust their lives to a power greater than themselves, a power greater than us all.
This power is the life and love of Christ always with us, always wanting to hold us up by the peace of his presence. Faith is always linked with us having a very positive hope.
We Remember In Our Prayers Brendan Gahan whose Funeral Service is at St. Teresa’s on Wednesday 7th May at 11.00 am. We Remember him and his family, and those whose anniversaries are at this time. May they all be in God’s peace.
At the 10 am Mass this Sunday, 27th April, We Warmly Welcome the Six Children and their families Who are Celebrating First Holy Communion.
This Weekend The SVP (The St. Vincent de Paul Society) have their regular Collection For Those IN Need Locally.
A VE Night Celebration Is Being Organised for Saturday, 10thMay to take place In St.Teresa’s Parish Hall, with all proceeds going to St. Teresa’s Church for all its recent roof repairs. We thank Becky Connor for this. There will be games and entertainment. Tickets are £10 each. To book please phone Kathryn on 07522 146571.
On ‘Victory in Europe ‘, V. E. Day itself, 8th May 2025, 80 years on from the end of war in Europe Celebration, an Afternoon Tea is being organised, a ‘Street Party’ of our own, but in the comfort of St. Teresa’s Parish Hall. Lovely food will be served, as in Afternoon Teas we have had before, and good company to be found. Tickets are £10, to be obtained from Sue Ward, at the back of church or phone 01253 858346. Thank you Sue for organising this.
A Prayer On The Death Of Pope Francis
Gracious God
You know our needs even before we ask,
and heed our faltering prayers, spoken and unspoken
Hear our voice above the murmurs of sorrow,
for it is the voice of confusion
seeking your still small voice of calm.
Hear our voice as we give thanks for your faithful servant Pope Francis,
for it is the voice of praise
shining with sadness and joy.
Hear our voice as we pray for the future,
for it is a voice of hope,
longing to see your Church made whole.
Hear our voice as we watch with those who deliberate,
for it is the voice of humility,
asking for their wisdom and discernment.
Hear our voice as we pray in solidarity with the poor,
for it is the voice of peace
searching for justice.
Oh God, hear the voice of the voiceless,
for it is the voice of silence
crying out from the cross
through whom your Spirit may be heard,
and your will be recognised.
(Annabel Shilson-Thomas, CAFOD)
Daily Reflections for this week
We are concerned with paschal joy, the joy proper to Easter, the joy which springs from a still more fundamental grace, that of a faith and love that make the risen Christ, though invisible, the very core of the believer’s existence. The prime object of the paschal joy, then, is the here-and -now reality of the risen Christ. It consists in the transforming experience of a joy which is a union in that of the risen Christ himself. Flowing from Christ, this joy always moves a person to God’s service, a source of strength, energy and courage to participate in the work of the kingdom. In its fullness, paschal joy engages the whole person, penetrates everyday experience, but its authenticity must be measured in terms of strength and depth rather than emotional exhilaration.
Scripture (Acts 2:38,41-43,46-47)
Peter said to the crowd, ‘You must repent, and everyone of you must be baptised on the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit. They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number. They remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. And everyone was filled with awe; the apostles worked many signs and miracles. Each day, with one heart, they regularly went to the Temple but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day, the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved
Tuesday (Cardinal Newman)
To know God and Christ, in scripture language, seems to mean to live under the conviction of his presence who is, to our bodily eyes, unseen. It is, in fact, to have faith, but not faith as the heathen might have, but gospel faith. The gospel is a manifestation, and therefore addressed to the eyes of our mind. Faith is the same principle as before, but with the opportunity of acting through a more certain and satisfactory sense.
Scripture (John 20:24-29)
Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord,’ but he answered, ‘Unless I can see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe. Eight days later, the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving anymore but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
Wednesday (C.S.Lewis)
The society into which the Christian is called at baptism is not a collective, but a Body. We are summoned at the outset to combine as creatures with our Creator, as mortals with immortal, as redeemed sinners with sinless Redeemer. His presence, the interaction between him and us, must always be the overwhelmingly dominant factor in the life we are to lead within the Body, and any conception of Christian fellowship which does not primarily mean fellowship with him is out of court. The sacrifice of selfish privacy which is daily demanded of us is daily repaid a hundredfold in the true growth of personality which the life of the Body encourages.
Scripture (Ephesians 1:18-20,22-23)
May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, how rich is the glory of the heritage he offers among his holy people, and how extraordinarily great is the power he has exercised for us believers; this accords with the strength of his power at work in Christ, the power he exercised in raising him from the dead, and made him, as he is above all things, the head of the Church, which is his body, the glory of him who is filled, all in all.
Thursday (Oscar Romero)
Christ arisen has put in history’s womb the beginning of a new world. To come to Mass on Sunday is to immerse oneself in that beginning, which again becomes present and is celebrated on the altar at Mass. And we who go forth from Mass know we have proclaimed the death that saved the world and proclaimed the resurrection of Christ, who lives as hope. I can imagine someone saying, “So now he thinks he is a prophet!” No, it’s not that I think I’m a prophet, it’s that you and I are a prophetic people. Everyone baptised has received a share in Christ’s prophetic mission.
Scripture (Matthew 28: 16-20)
Meanwhile, the eleven set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him, they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father , and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
Friday (2nd Vatican Council – “The Church”)
So it is that this messianic people, though it does not include all people and may more than once look like a small flock, is nonetheless a lasting and sure seed of unity, hope and salvation for the whole human race. Established by Christ as a fellowship of life, charity and truth, it is also used by him as an instrument of redemption for all, and is sent forth into the whole world as the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
Scripture (1 Peter 2:9)
You are a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, a people to be a personal possession to sing the praises of God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Martin Bennett